Sojourn in Paradise

Main menu

Tag Archives: London

I went for the walk into the swamp with Riley. Had a small campfire and sat in solitude, listening to the birds. Was 13 degrees out, melting tracks in the snow, and lots of mud for the dog! A nice day.

On the return, spent some time painting in the kitchen. lots of time on my hands, lots of jobs to be done around the house. St Patrick’s day they say, had a Guinness after supper. The least I could do, given that I have no Irish in me that I know of!

Got to the point of packing too much into each day and not writing on here at all…..spent all summer riding the bike, and doing “Tuesday night” rides with a pack for experience. Had an old fellow stop and admire my old Honda….told me it was a “vintage” bike. Kinda made me think more of it!

Sent the plans to the builder down south and am getting all in place to construct “Casa Gall” in the new year. hard to do over the ‘net, but it’s getting there. Booked the flights south, and got the car lined up. I laughed when I got the tax bill for the property…..the equivalent of $6.00 :)

Set the final date of work, and winding down to finish up early in the new year. Just enjoying each day til then….not worrying about too much.

Father got back from Cuba this week, and will go again in January for a few months during the winter. Good for his soul, I think.

Hired a man to research the Polish side of the family….will see where that goes. (to Poland, obviously!) LOL….

Arrived back about March 11th. Had to take some time to reconnect with life here. Different pace, different life, for sure. Had a blast down south doing exactly what I wanted….when I wanted. Fishing, hiking, walking, swimming…..

Went deep sea fishing for the first time ever…..caught a sailfish and saw lots of them. Turtles, dorado, lots to see. Went out on the “Rosa Lu” from Herradura near Jaco. 25 miles out to the Peruvian current where there were tons of fish.

Walked miles and miles when Mo was visiting…..

Drove all over the place, to the coast, to Nicaragua, to the volcanos in the north. Everywhere.

Went fishing for bass almost every day in Lake Arenal. Caught some “machata” fish…. Saw my first snake in the wild….long and black with green markings. Like a ribbon on the trail ahead of me.

Found the place for me in Tronadora, near Lake Arenal. Good village, clean, neat, interesting….lots of places to eat, sights to see, and close to Tilaran…..a small town about 5 minutes away on the flank of the mountains where the Guanacaste begins.

Took some pics, will post a few at a time on here.

Experienced a national election wherein they elected the first woman President…..

Kind of a busy day, had a good Crown with me, and we got through the list in good time. The right people were “kept in” as it were. Bike still not home….maybe tomorrow. Love to go riding this weekend. Dream about it, really.

Lovely weather these last few days….should go right through the weekend. I hope so.

Out with the “bench” and a lawyer friend tomorrow for a pint…good friends, both of them.

Still not “right” these last few days….don’t know what’s up, but feeling “off”…. seasonal stuff…..

Brings a trip to the BMW dealer, and perhaps a “test ride”. Also a coffee outing with my dad, as I haven’t seen him in a while.

I am “crazy” happy right now….Can’t say why. A phone call can do wonders!

Mike’s birthday today in Ottawa, sent him some coin…..just “yesterday” I can remember him about 5 yrs old….. sure miss that time in my life, kinda sorry I was working shifts, and missed a lot of his “growing up”. Water under the bridge…..

Planning my trip to Costa Rica in February. The plane fares are incredibly low right now. Should book in the next few days. then, just a matter of getting a place, and the other things like a vehicle and stuff….

My friend Peter Downing and his family will be in Costa Rica in February as well, so I will be sure to connect with him when I am there. He and I are “in a race” to see who gets to their “place in the sun” first! LOL….

We both have been bitten by the “bug” that is CR…..hard to describe to someone that has not been there.

I think that I will also try to connect with a “blog buddy” when I get there. Jen from “a new life in costa rica” puts out a quality blog for sure! I would like to meet her and her family, and “trade stories” as it were.

Read a story today where a lady was killed in Mexico. She had a blog, and recently met a young man and blogged about it. Apparently, police there arrested a young man and charged him with murder. Just goes to show that the internet….although neat and vast, can also be a magnet for weird people as well. Gotta keep vigilant, and always “go with your gut” when you meet people. That’s the cop in me coming out….. :)

Amanda should be back in town tomorrow….would like to get together with her for a bit. Miss that kid!

Thank God for my friends in life….specifically Matt and John S. today. they are both good guys!

Sent my info off to the MTO via Fanshawe College yesterday, as the “Drive Centers” are on strike. Should get my licence updated to the M2 level…..

Also, ran into a friend who applied to “Westjet” and got a part time job, and she advised me that there are jobs available for guys like me after retirement….with free and/or cheap flights as a bonus. Will look into that. Thanks, Maria!